Diet computer

ABSTRACT

A computional device for use in planning or constructing optimum balanced menus using a set of bar vectors consisting of bars strung on a string, the bar vectors being longitudinally slidable in slots in a board, which defines a field for computation with said vectors.

United States Patent 1191 w I 1111 3,801,778

Balintiy Apr..2, 1974 DIET COMPUTER f 2,864,275 12/1958 Fraleigh; 84/471 4 3,124,885 3/1964 M d u 35/24 [76] Invenm Joseph mum! 22 Blue 3,410,002 11/1968 Mz l ho lland et 31.. 35/31 R -A Mass-01002 3,667,760 6/1972 Nelson ..35/310 [22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 Primary Examiner-Lawrence R.' Franklin [211 App]. No.: 327,601

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas B. Graham 52 0.8. CI. 235/124 A T AC [51] Int. Cl. G01d 13/22 A computionaldevice for use in planning or con- [58] Field of Search 235/69, 124; 35/31, 31 F, structing optimum balanced menus using a set of bar 35/31 G, 31 D I vectors consisting of bars strung on a string, the bar vectors being longitudinally slidable in slots in a [56] References Cited board, which def nesafield for computation with said UNITED STATESPATENTS vectors 846,484 3/1907 Leitch..; 35/2 1 5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention isdirected toward a computational device used in planning or constructing optimum balanced menus which is based on the principle of physical representation of vectors and vector summation to solve the vector algebraic problem which is the essence of balancing diets. The device is in its preferred form a slide rule-type hand tool to solve the following type of mathematical programming problems:

Minimize: 2cm

n Subject to: Eai;z,-Zb,-;:i=1, 2, m

where c is the unit cost (or measure of undesirability) of a given portion of menu item j, and a is the amount of .the i-th nutrient in menu item j; b, is the recommended allowance for the i-th nutrient for a meal or for a day and L and K are the bounds on the number of items (courses) to be included in a meal or in the menu for a day. Inasmuch as K is usually much less than the number of items, n, under consideration, the problem of finding the optimum balanced meal is a difficult combinatorial problem unsolvable by the unaided human mind.

The invention provides means for representing the c, and a coefficients which form a vector for any given jitem, by a set of bars of appropriate length on a string, preferably extensible, e.g., rubber, with the length of bars proportional to the magnitude. of the components of the vector. Each menu item thus corresponds to a different string of bars, called bar vectors. The summation of any set of's vectors (L s s K) is performed on a slotted board or field which permits longitudinal sliding bars, with the rubber string andcolors'keeping the identity of both vectors and components consistent with the algebraic problem. A set of s bar vectors will give a reading in terms of the total length of the bars in their respective slots, which can be checked against the properly scaled distances indicating the b values for feasibility (i.e., whether the meal is balanced) and for the length of the Z c x quantity which should be short as possible. With respect to both kinds of checks, substitution of bar vectors on the board can be performed by eliminating one or more from the given set and adding others from the (n 5) bar vectors not on the board. The procedure is that of a systematic search process with each change of vectors potentially giving improvement on the previous meal. I

The user of the device isv expected to assemble the bar'vectors for each menu item he or she considers for meal planning from a set of center bars and extentions which are made available in a fixed set of varieties in' length. Bar assemblies representing the same nutrient will have coded (colored) marking applied showing the numerical value of the nutrient considered. The first or last bar assembly by convention can represent the cost. The number of nutrients balanced will depend on the user and can be less but not more than the grooves provided on the board. After a set of at least two dozen bar vectors are assembled (which may be pre-assembled in the kit) the meal balancing will take place by inserting the bar vectors in the board one by one and observing the total length of the bars with the same color. The board is preferably transparent and on its back side is placed a prepositioned paper to indicate the scale normalized values of the Recommended Daily Allowances for any one of the stratified age-sex combinations of reference persons. These figures, as well as menu item nutrient composition tables, are information available in the public domain and are provided as part of the kit in booklet form for reference.

The equipment needed includes a set of center bars; extension bars with a well defined distribution of about five different. lengths, a few snap-on bars to indicate extreme lengths of the bars, to be manufactured from colorless, preferably transparent, plastic for each unit. The end piece and labeling piece and rubber string are commercially available and easily provided. These parts are intended to be sufficient to construct a series of 50, preferably 100, bar vectors for each kit. Preprinted adhesive bar paper and board marker papers can be produced by conventional printing methods to provide coding and additional information.

The market is international. The demand is generated by official policies concerning the promotion of nutritional health. Classes of potential consumers are as follows:

Dietitians and nutritionists in need of a tool to use with patients and students; Housewives, both for economizing in food cost and also to balance meals;

Weight watchers trying to eat as much as possible while minimizing calories;

Diabetics to control carbohydrates and other nutrients;

Students learning algebra and nutrition;

Children for creative play and education.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

In the drawings: a FIG. 1 shows a bar vector; FIG. 2 is a plan view of board suitable for use in the device according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are detail views of edges of the board of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are side and professional plan views respectively of I the center bar;

FIG. 7 is a view of the center bar with a snap-on bar;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

Referring first to FIGS. 1-1 1, in particular to FIG. 1, assemblies of bars, 10,10',l0" etc., differing in length, and suitably color coded, are strungon a rubber string ter bar 26 has a hole 30 therein to pass the assembly string 12.

Boardl8 receives removably marked paper 28 (FIG. 8), on its back face, which paper is slipped into theslot defined by undercutting the edges of board 18. The bar assemblies 26 Snap in and out of slots in the board and slide longitudinally (See FIG. 7,8). Holes 30 receive the rubber string. The board slots 20 receive this string.

The snap-on bar 31is placed on the bar, assembly to represent extremely long bar assemblies as needed.

Marked paper 28 is provided with a plurality of sets of arrows 32. The space between the arrows'in each set is to be used to receive a number designating the nutrient allowance on each bar vector of the respective nutrient of each groove on the board.

Sample Problem Given the following sample set of menu items with known recipes, portion size and cost per portion as well as nutrient per portion quantities:

Category Index Number Name Entree l Fried chicken Entree 2 Roast beef Entree 3 Stuffed pork chop Starch 4 Mashed potatoes Starch 5 Scalloped potatoes Starch 6 French fries Vegetable 7. Carrots Vegetable 8 Boiled cabbage Vegetable 9 Stewed tomatoes Dessert 10 Watermelon Dessert. l l Peach slices Dessert 12 Apple pie The cost and nutrient composition is shown in the following table assuming that only calories, protein, iron and Vitamin C are to be balanced on the level of allowances listed in the last colu nn of the table. H V

Item 4 is replaced by item 5 by exchange of bar vectors and menu [l,5,7,l0] obtains, still short of 270 calories and 0.8 milligrams of iron.

3. The next least cost improvement would come from item 12 replacing item 10. Menu [1, 5, 7, l2] costs 26 cents but is short now by 1.2 milligrams of iron and 9 milligrams of Vitamin C.

4. Item 8 is high in Vitamin C at no extra cost. The new menu, [1, 5, 8, 12] is now short only in 1.7 milligrams of iron.

cost increase, item 6 can 'replace item Syielding a balanced menu for'39 cents. Also item 9 can replace item 8 and produce menu [2,4, 9 l2].for 43 cents. The two menus may not be equally preferred so any one can be considered .best buy relative to the users taste preferences.

Menu [2,6,8,l2] Menu [2,5,9,12] Roast beef Roast beef French fries Scalloped potatoes Boiled cabbage Stewed tomatoes Apple pie Apple pie Cost 39 cents Cost 43 cents Calories 940 Calories 970 Protein 31 grams Protein 33 grams lron 5.2 milligrams lron 5.4-'milligrams Vit. C 44 milligrams Vit. C 42 milligrams All the 81 possible menus are implicitly evaluated by these six steps with all the addition and substraction of vector quantities done by pattern recognition alone.

With this indication of the several items and choices, the various possible menus can be evaluated. The mechanism for the evaluation in terms of the apparatus described herein should be apparent.

Referring .now to the drawing, FIG. .1, the device from unit 14 to 16 is a holder carried on a flexible cord, for example, a rubber band 12. (It need not be rubber because a fine string, which is long enough, could make the turns needed, as will appear). The individual items 10, 10', 'l0" etc. strung upon the cord 12 are bars ssshs ss d ns hey??? value f a i l I 45 oosT AND NUTRIENT COMPOSITION PER PORTION I Item 1v 2 s 4 '5 s 7 s '9 ,10 12 12 Allowance- Cost(c) 15 2 2 s 2 2 9 -2 a 7 Minimum Calories.... 480 160 220 210 40 4o 60 10 380 gene.

2 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 3 30. 0.5 0.5 1.1 0.5 o 0.8 1 0.3 0.6 as. 14 11 16 4 27 30 15 3 1 225.

The problem isto find one of the 3 X 3 X 3 X 3 81 possible menus which satisfy the allowances at minimum cost. I

The numbers in any column of the table are vectors with which the computations can be performed with the aid of bar vectors as follows: 1 Y

1. First select the first item in each category. and place the corresponding bar vectors in the board. By data arrangement this is the item set [1, 4, 7, 10] which is minimal in cost. Adding the cost and nutrients shows that the'menu is short by 330 calories and 0.8 milligrams of iron and it costs 21 cents.

2. Looking for items higher in calories, it is seen that item' 5 can increase the calories at no change of cost.

nutrition item in a particular meal. Thus, the bar vector 16 14, which is an ordered list of the values of the individual nutrients 10 strung thereon, in terms of protein, carbohydrate, caloric value, and cost, for example, represent, part of the bar set which adds up to a meal, and three meals in a day, which add up to a nutritional diet summation, with cost for a particular day. Hence the complications of the methematical problem of determining the adequacy of the meal.

The elastic band 12 stretched from 14 to 16 is fitted in opposite but aligned slots 20 of the board and the individual units are fitted within the individual grooves 28 of the board.

Thus, a first single item of settled individual vector values matched against the zero point or origin at 18'. A second set of vectors assembled as components of the second bar vector can be mounted on the board using a second pair of slots 20 to represent the second item in the menu, and the individual vector quantities to be added all in the same order on the bar can be done by use of the same color in the physical representation of the device. Thus the three or four bar vector elements forming a separate particular mealcan be mechanically added together on the board against a background showing the printed calibrated back 28. The adequacy of the sum for a particular meal is thus evaluated. That is, by the'symbolic designation the bars likewise can be aligned with the origin and each individual meal evaluated. In similar fashion the second and third meal of a day which constitute a day's menu can be added to the first by the insertion of bar vectors representing the individual items in the menu. The sum total is thus developed. Through the appropriate calibration of the display card 28 behind the vector assembly on board 18, the vectors are aligned as indicated, and it becomes possible to obtain an over-all evaluation of the days diet. a

As material of construction the board, bars and elements of bars are generally made of plastic. Transparent polystyrene for the board is suitable. Polyethylene and polypropylene are appropriate for the bars and other miscellaneous parts.

in an alternative version of the device the board is made offerromagnetic material with :scale of values printed on its face. The separate bars, etc., which go to form the bar vector are formed of plastic with magnets embedded in them. ltthus becomes possible to match and add vectors on the board without the use of grooves for the bars. It is also feasible to make the bars and vector components of magnetic plastic material. A magnetic board with ferromagnetic bar vectors is also contemplated. 4

As a source of information concerning the values which can be established for food items and menu items prepared in accordance with relatively well established recipes there are many publications including official Government sources regarding nutrition. Typical of these would be any of the following: (1) Watt, B. K. and Merrill, A. L. Composition of Foods Raw, Processed, Prepared. U.S.D.A. Handbook No. 8. (2) Food and Nutrition Board: Recommended Dietary Allowances" Seventh Rev. Ed. 1968, Natl. Head. Sci. Pub. No. 1996, 1968.

These may be considered fully incorporated into the specification as bases of information for the calorie and nutritional values of typical portions of such food items for use in establishing the vector values to be used in a ssr a qssjx lhtlismenti While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, such is not to be considered as limiting its actual scope.

Having thus described this invention, what is asserted as new is:

1. A meal planning computational aid, comprising: a set of bar vectors,

sponding to a selected menu item; 7

each of said bar vectors comprising a cost bar and a plurality of nutrient bars connected by extensible means to form a loose, unitary structure wherein said bars are held parallel; said cost bar having a length proportional to the cost of said selected menu item thereon to display said cost;

each of said plurality of nutrient bars having a length proportional to the amount of a predetermined one of a set of nutrients contained in said menu item and having indicia thereon for indicating said amount;

and a display board having a series of parallel lines thereon, each line corresponding to a particular nutrient with 'an additional line corresponding to cost; scale means associated with said each line graduated in units corresponding to the proportionality of the respective bar; and said display board having means coacting with said bars for releasably mounting said bars on said lines with each nutrients bar being mounted on its corresponding line and said cost bar being mounted on said cost line, whereby a plurality of bar vectors may be mounted on said board to display by means of the accumulated lengths of the bars in cooperation with said scale means the amounts of nutrients and the cost of a meal, or meals, made up of the corresponding plurality of menu items. H 7 v 2. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said coacting means comprises magnet means for holding said bars on said board.

3. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said coacting means is a series of grooves on the face of said board for receiving said bars. A

4. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said bars are color coded such that each nutrient has the same color bar on each bar vector.

5. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said scale means is printed on a display card mounted on said board, said display card further having indicia thereon for indicating the recommended allowance for each of said nutrients.

each of said bar vectors correand having indicia I 

1. A meal planning computational aid, comprising: a set of bar vectors, each of said bar vectors corresponding to a selected menu item; each of said bar vectors comprising a cost bar and a plurality of nutrient bars connected by extensible means to form a loose, unitary structure wherein said bars are held parallel; said cost bar having a length proportional to the cost of said selected menu item and having indicia thereon to display said cost; each of said plurality of nutrient bars having a length proportional to the amount of a predetermined one of a set of nutrients contained in said menu item and having indicia thereon for indicating said amount; and a display board having a series of parallel lines thereon, each line corresponding to a particular nutrient with an additional line corresponding to cost; scale means associated with said each line graduated in units corresponding to the proportionality of the respective bar; and said display board having means coacting with said bars for releasably mounting said bars on said lines with each nutrient''s bar being mounted on its corresponding line and said cost bar being mounted on said cost line, whereby a plurality of bar vectors may be mounted on said board to display by means of the accumulated lengths of the bars in cooperation with said scale means the amounts of nutrients and the cost of a meal, or meals, made up of the corresponding plurality of menu items.
 2. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said coacting means comprises magnet means for holding said bars on said board.
 3. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said coacting means is a series of grooves on the face of said board for receiving said bars.
 4. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said bars are color coded such that each nutrient has the same color bar on each bar vector.
 5. A meal planning computational aid as in claim 1 wherein said scale means is printed on a display card mounted on said board, said display card further having indicia thereon for indicating the recommended allowance for each of said nutrients. 